J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2006 Sep;47(9):1435-1443.

Assessment of the Anterior Segment Using Slit-Lamp Biomicroscope and Gonioscope

• Oh JH
• Kim YY
• Jung HR

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of the Smith method, van Herick technique, and Shaffer grading system, using a slit-lamp biomicroscope and gonioscope that measure anterior chamber depth (ACD), peripheral chamber depth (PCD), and angle width.
METHODS
The anterior chamber of 94 eyes of 53 subjects was evaluated by slit-lamp examination with a gonioscope. An A-scan was carried out on all of the subjects, but ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) was performed on only 42 of 94 eyes. Slit-lamp biomicroscope-assisted measurements, such as ACD, PCD, and angle width, were compared with those by A-scan and UBM.
RESULTS
The correlations among ACD measurements, obtained by the Smith method, and those obtained using A-scan (r=0.673, p<0.001) and UBM (r=0.824, p<0.001) were statistically significant. The mean PCD, measured by van Herick technique, was 14.01+/-15.04 %, and its correlation with that of UBM was statistically significant (r=0.706, p<0.001). In addition, the correlation between the mean angle width, measured by Shaffer grading system and by UBM, was also statistically significant (r=0.853, p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Assessments of the anterior segment, using a slit-lamp biomicrosope and a gonioscope, are comparable to those of A-scan and UBM measurements and are, therefore, useful for evaluation of the anterior chamber.

Keyword

Angle width; Anterior chamber depth; Peripheral chamber depth; Shaffer grading system; Smith method; Van Herick technique

MeSH Terms

Anterior Chamber
Ultrasonography